Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I don't think anyone would argue if I said Spirit of the West was one of the best days we've ever had as a club. The weather was kinder than we expected, the food was good, the drams absolutely first class. Seventeen road warriors took the long and winding road to sample some of the finest whiskies the 16 distilleries who make up the Whisky Coast had to offer. There were top people from the industry as well, a sure sign they are fully supportive of this fledgling festival.There were six themed marquees for the event including Whisky, Hospitality, Food & Drink, Music & Fashion, History & Heritage & a Crafts Village. Open air activities including golf and Walking Theatre historical trails were also lined up for the big weekend.The organisers believe the event was a success although they were a little disappointed with the numbers who turned up. There were very few signs on the road from Glasgow that a festival was on and advertising elsewhere was a bit sparse. Next year the event will be switched, possible to June, in a bit to capture more tourists.But the day suited us just fine. There was plenty of room at the tasting table in the Dram Room and the people pouring the drams had plenty of time to stand and natter.Top drams of the day, voted by the travelling band, were the Talisker 30 and 25, with Jim McEwan's nitroglycerine concoction, the BLx4 also attracting support.For some strange reason, the journey back seemed much quicker than the outward journey. Funny that!